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Grand Seiko Launches Katana-Inspired U.S. Exclusives 

The precision craftsmanship and materials required to created a Japanese Katana sword inspires three new U.S.-exclusive Grand Seiko watches.

Grand Seiko SBGA489 and SBGA491.

The debut trio offers a choice of stunning deep red, green or black dials, each framed in a 40mm diameter by 12.5mm stainless steel case. Each features a stainless steel bracelet with a three-fold clasp, a dual-curve sapphire crystal and a clear sapphire case back exposing the superb Spring Drive Automatic Caliber 9R65 (see specifications below).

The new Grand Seiko SBGA493 is a limited edition of 500 pieces.

Grand Seiko explains that the high-carbon steel known as kawagane used for the outer sharp edge of katana sword inspired the black dial of SBGA489 debut model. Similarly, dial artists echoed the strong inner core of the blade (the shingane) when creating the dark green dial of SBGA491.

For the limited-edition model SBGA493 with the striking red patterned dial Grand Seiko specifically references “the determination and fiery spirit needed to craft the blade.

The deep red color with yellow gold-tone accents is influenced by the heated blade during the forging process. The pattern emulates the radiating sparks created when the hammer strikes the blade.”

Grand Seiko is issuing the red-dialed edition (SBGA493) as a limited edition of 500 pieces available in September, each priced at $6,000. The black-dial model (SBGA489) and the green-dial model (SBGA491) are priced at $5,600, and both are available now.

Specifications: Grand Seiko Heritage Collection 44GS USA Exclusive 

Movement: Spring Drive Caliber 9R65 Driving system: Automatic Power reserve: 72 hours Accuracy: ± 1 second per day (± 15 seconds per month).

Grand Seiko Automatic Spring Drive 3-Day Caliber 9R65.

Case: 40mm by 12.5mm stainless steel case with dual-curved sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating, see-through screw case back, water resistance to 100 meters and superior magnetic resistance of 4,800 A/m.

Dials: Textured deep red (SBGA493), black (SBGA489) and green (SBGA491). 

Bracelet: Stainless steel with three-fold clasp and push-button release. Kimono fabric strap included with SBGA493, the limited edition model.

Prices: $6,000 (SBGA493) and $5,600 (SBGA489 and SBGA491).

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The Watches

Grand Seiko’s New Winter Scene

The patterned white dial on the latest model within Grand Seiko’s Elegance Collection is meant to evoke the beauty of freshly fallen winter snow outside its watchmaking studios in the wooded Shinshu region of central Japan. That particular scene is known as Shizuri-yuki, which refers to the moment when snow spills down from the branches of trees to create a shimmering cascade of light.

The new Grand Seiko Spring Drive SBGY008.

The new Grand Seiko Spring Drive SBGY008 could be considered the next in a series of Spring Drive debuts with dials meant to evoke the beauty of winter just outside the Grand Seiko studio.

You might recall the Grand Seiko Spring Drive SBGY007 we showed you earlier this year, with its hammered ice-blue dial that beautifully mimics a nearby frozen lake, a phenomenon called Omiwatari.

Grand Seiko cases this latest Elegance watch in a 38.5mm rose gold frame dotted along its sides with fifty-three hand set diamonds. Artisans nicely arranged the gems so that they gradually decrease in size from the center of the case to the end of the lugs, which appears to flow along the side of the case. This quite effectively generates the namesake Shizuri-yuki sparkle.

Grand Seiko then continues to evoke the winter scene on the dial with a wind-blown snow pattern. The scene is broken only by the very smooth Spring Drive seconds hand, and much more slowly as hour and minutes pass as indicated by matching, perfectly faceted gold hands.

The see-through sapphire crystal case back reveals the Spring Drive movement.

This is a fairly thin watch, measuring 10.2mm in depth, thank to Grand Seiko’s own Spring Drive manual-wind caliber winding Caliber 9R31, which offers an impressive 72 hours. As a Spring Drive caliber, it also provides incredible precision with accuracy rated to ±1 second per day.

The Grand Seiko Spring Drive SBGY008 is sold on a brown leather strap and comes with an additional satin gold-colored leather strap (above). The watch will be available as a limited edition of sixty at Grand Seiko Boutiques and selected Grand Seiko retailers worldwide in January 2022, just as winter peaks in the northern hemisphere. Price: $38,000.

Specifications: Grand Seiko Spring Drive SBGY008

(Limited edition of 60)

Movement: Grand Seiko Spring Drive Caliber 9R31 Driving system, manual-winding, 72-hour power reserve, accuracy of ± 1 second per day (± 15 seconds per month), dual spring barrel.

Dial: White ‘snow’ pattern.

Case: 38.5mm by 10.2mm rose-gold case and clasp with 53 diamonds (.38 carat), dual-curved sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating, see-through screw case back, water resistance to 30 meters, magnetic resistance to 4,800 A/m.

Strap: Crocodile with three-fold clasp with push-button release. Additional satin gold-colored leather strap.

Price: $38,000

 

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Watch Of The Day

American Eagle Inspires Newest Grand Seiko GMT

As Grand Seiko celebrates its sixtieth birthday in 2020 (and specifically on December 18) the watchmaker’s U.S. division is releasing a new Spring Drive GMT sport watch, the latest variant of the Grand Seiko series we first saw this summer, but newly decorated with a dial color inspired by the American eagle.

Grand Seiko Spring Drive GMT ‘Eagle’ U.S. Limited Edition SBGE263.

Grand Seiko artisans have applied the deep brown color of the eagle’s feathers to the dial and bezel of the Spring Drive GMT SBGE263, which the brand says are meant to recall the “warm tones of the earth – reliable and dignified.”

Continuing its ode to the eagle, Grand Seiko also devised the watch’s radiating dial pattern to represent the bird’s flight, while the gold arrow of the GMT hand is “reminiscent of the eagle’s powerful beak.” The watch’s 40.5mm steel case features a contrasting mix of Zaratsu-polished and hairline surfaces.

As a GMT watch in the truest sense, powered by Spring Drive Caliber 9R66, the watch allows the wearer quick access to a second time zone. With the caliber, the local hour hand is independently adjustable while the GMT hand remains fixed to home time. This means that when the wearer arrives at new location in a different time zone, he or she can simply jump the hour hand to the correct hour without having to reset the watch.

The watch is offered as a U.S. limited edition of 110 and will be available in January at Grand Seiko Boutiques and for members of the newly expanded GS9 Club, now open to members in United States. Price: $6,700.

Specifications: Grand Seiko Spring Drive GMT ‘Eagle’ U.S. Limited Edition SBGE263

(Limited edition of 110)

Movement: Caliber 9R66 Spring Drive, accurate to +/-15 seconds month (when static), power reserve of 72 hours.

Case: 40.5mm by 14.7mm steel, brown ceramic bezel, dual curve sapphire crystal, water resistant to 200 meters.

Dial: Ridged pattern brown, raised and beveled markers.

Bracelet: Steel with micro-adjustable clasp.

Price: $6,700.

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Watch Of The Day

Grand Seiko Debuts Autumn-Themed Special Edition

Grand Seiko this week debuts two new U.S. Special Edition watches designed to celebrate the end of Autumn (or sōko in Japanese).

The two models of the new Grand Seiko Soko U.S. Special Edition.

The 39mm steel watches, each powered by Seiko’s hybrid Spring Drive caliber, feature a bamboo-themed dial with a vertical textured pattern, a green seconds hand and a green power reserve hand.

While both watches utilize he same textured dial that is meant to recall stalks of bamboo within Japan’s famed Arashiyama bamboo forest in Kyoto, particularly as seen at the end of Autumn during the first frost.

Grand Seiko’s incredibly skilled artisans have once again created beautifully rendered dials. In addition to the unusual texture throughout each dial, the applied markers and the hands are skillfully facetted, adding eye-catching depth to an already inspired design.

One model features a dark grey dial (SBGA429), representing shadow, while the second model offers a brighter silver color (SBGA427), representing light. The green seconds hand and power reserve hand are brighter green on the darker dial, enhancing their contrast while also underscoring the natural theme of both these Soko U.S. special editions.

Grand Seiko will deliver each watch with a steel bracelet and a crocodile leather strap with green stitching that matches the watch’s green hands. 

Hand-adjusted

Inside, Seiko fits its Spring Drive 9R65 Caliber, made at the watchmaker’s Shinshu Watch Studio. Spring Drive, as a reminder, is Seiko’s own highly accurate (to one second per day) spring-driven movement with an electro-magnetic regulator that functions with only a mechanical mainspring driving a gear train.

Grand Seiko Spring Drive Caliber 9R65.

Grand Seiko adds the watches to its Heritage Collection.

Price: $5,000.

 

Specifications: Grand Seiko Soko U.S. Special Edition, Grand Seiko Heritage Collection

Movement: Caliber 9R65
 Spring Drive, accuracy ±1 second per day / ±15 seconds per month/average, power reserve is 72 hours.

Case: 39mm x 12.5mm stainless steel case, dual-curve sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating, screw-down see-through case back

Bracelet: Stainless steel and (second strap, supplied) crocodile leather with three-fold clasp push button release.

Price: $5,000

 

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